All five starters scored in double figures on Monday night led by 27 points from Jayson Tatum, as the Boston Celtics emphatically ended a three game losing streak by blasting the best team in the league the Los Angeles Lakers 139-107 at TD Garden in Boston.
Boston got off to a slow start before rebounding and playing one of the best games they’ve played so far this season. Los Angeles (34-9) scored the first eight points for an early lead, before the Celtics took their first lead of the night with 4:51 left in the opening quarter on a Kemba Walker three-pointer at 22-21. After the Lakers regained the lead at 30-27, Boston scored the last six points to push back into the lead for good at 33-30 after the opening 12 minutes. They continued to hold the lead in the second quarter going up as many as 16. In a one point game at 45-44 Celtics with 7:51 left, Boston finished the half on a 24-11 run to take a 69-55 lead into halftime.
Boston (28-14) would continue to increase the lead to open the third, and there was nothing Los Angeles could do to slow them down on this night. Walker scored the first five points in the quarter for the Celts, and then later would build the largest lead to that point on a Marcus Smart floater in the lane that made it 97-68. They held a 104-70 lead at the end of the third, as they hit 14-21 from the floor in the 12 minutes to outscore the Lakers 35-25. The Celtics would go up as many as 34 late, and Los Angeles never got closer than 23 in the final quarter.
Tatum added five rebounds and three assists to his game high point total, shooting 10-18 (5-8 three-point range) in the Boston win. Walker and Jaylen Brown each had 20 points and four rebounds. Brown had six assists, while Walker had seven. Enes Kanter had 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Gordon Hayward rounded out the double digit scorers with 16 points, six rebounds, and five assists. The Celtics shot 56% from the floor, and nearly 50% from three-point range (16-34). Javale McGee had 18 points and five rebounds in the loss for Los Angeles. Lebron James had 15 points, seven rebounds, and 13 assists. Kyle Kuzma and Rajon Rondo each added 13 points. Boston will host Memphis Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m.
